http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1052
DMDC: Dimethyl dicarbonate 200mg/L in drinks adds methanol 98 mg/L (becomes
formaldehyde in body):
EU Scientific Committee on Foods 7.12.1: Murray 1.22.4 rmforall

"...DMDC was evaluated by the SCF in 1990 and considered acceptable for the cold
sterilization of soft drinks and fruit juices at levels of addition up to 250
mg/L (1)
...DMDC decomposes primarily to CO2 and methanol ...

The use of 200 mg DMDC/L would add 98 mg/L of methanol to wine which already
contains an average of about 140 mg/L from natural sources. A healthy person
metabolises 1500 mg methanol/hr without any physiological problems and this
should be compared to the amount of up to 240 mg/L methanol in wine, treated
with DMDC up to 200 mg/L. Metabolism of the amounts of methanol resulting
from consumption of wine containing such levels is therefore well within the
capacity of the human body. Thus consumption of even large quantities of
wine would not pose any hazards from methanol.

Conclusion
The formation of methanol and other reaction products following the use of
DMDC for the treatment of alcoholic beverages and wine is similar to that
formed in non-alcoholic beverages. Therefore the previous opinion on the use of
DMDC for non-alcoholic beverages (1) is equally applicable to wines treated with
DMDC."

http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sc/scf/out96_en.pdf

Rue de la Loi 200, B-1049 Bruxelles/Wetstraat 200, B-1049 Brussel - Belgium -.
Telephone: direct line (+32-2) 295.81.10 / 296.48.70, exchange 299.11.11.
Fax: (+32-2) 299.48.91
Telex: COMEU B 21877. Telegraphic address: COMEUR Brussels.

http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/dg24/health/sc/scf/index_en.html
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
HEALTH & CONSUMER PROTECTION DIRECTORATE-GENERAL
Directorate C - Scientific Opinions
C2 - Management of scientific committee; scientific co-operation and networks
Scientific Committee on Food
SCF/CS/ADD/CONS/43 Final

12 July 2001
Opinion of the Scientific Committee on Food
on the use of dimethyl dicarbonate (DMDC) in wines
(opinion expressed on 11 July 2001)

SCF/CS/ADD/CONS/43 Final
Opinion of the Scientific Committee on Food
on the use of dimethyl dicarbonate (DMDC) in wines
(opinion expressed on 11 July 2001)

Terms of Reference
The Committee is asked to indicate if its conclusions on the safety of
dimethyl dicarbonate (DMDC) used in non-alcoholic beverages is also
applicable to its use in wine.

Background
DMDC was evaluated by the SCF in 1990 and considered acceptable for the cold
sterilization of soft drinks and fruit juices at levels of addition up to 250
mg/L (1).
At that time no application for its use in alcoholic beverages
and wines had been made. The EC Directive 95/2 of 1995 (2) authorised the
use of DMDC as preservative only for non-alcoholic aromatised beverages,
alcohol-free wine and liquid tea concentrates at a maximum level of addition
of 250 mg/L with no detectable residues. In 1996 the Committee also
considered some further aspects of DMDC in response to a request from the
French authorities (3). This opinion did not alter the Committee's earlier
opinion.

The FDA in 1988 allowed the use of DMDC to prevent the growth of yeast in
wine and for the inhibition of yeasts in alcohol-free wine and low alcohol
wines by the addition of up to 200 mg/L provided the initial yeast counts
were reduced to less than 500 viable cells per ml after an initial
filtration or pasteurisation. DMDC is used to stabilise slightly sweet white
wines and unfiltered red wines (4).

DMDC was also evaluated in 1990 by JECFA (5) which considered it
inappropriate to establish an ADI taking into account that the compound
hydrolyses in aqueous media and that residual levels are below analytical
detection limits. It was
considered acceptable as a coldsterilising agent for beverages up to a level
of addition of 250 mg/L.

Evaluation
DMDC decomposes primarily to CO2 and methanol and forms minute amounts of
reaction products such as carboxymethoxylation products of naturally
occurring amines, amino acids, sugars and fruit acids (lactic acid, citric
acid, tartaric acid, ascorbic acid) (total carboxymethoxy derivatives 1.7-5
mg/L). In the presence of ammonia or ammonium ions small amounts of
methylcarbamate (< 25 µg/L) are formed. In the case of alcoholic and
nonalcoholic beverages other reaction products with methanol such as
monomethylcarbonate and dimethylcarbonate were identified and in the case of
alcoholic beverages the reaction product with ethanol, i.e.
methylethylcarbonate, was also detected (8.2-10.3 mg/L).

The toxicology data on DMDC and its reaction products, including those
formed by reaction with ethanol, were previously assessed by the SCF (1). It
was concluded that they were not of concern.

The amount of methylcarbamate formed in wine is unaffected by the presence
of ethyl alcohol and depends only on the presence of ammonia or ammonium
ions as occurs with nonalcoholic beverages. Further analyses of treated
wines stored for 12 months have shown no increase in ethylcarbamate beyond
background levels.

The use of 200 mg DMDC/L would add 98 mg/L of methanol to wine which already
contains an average of about 140 mg/L from natural sources. A healthy person
metabolises 1500 mg methanol/hr without any physiological problems and this
should be compared to the amount of up to 240 mg/L methanol in wine, treated
with DMDC up to 200 mg/L. Metabolism of the amounts of methanol resulting
from consumption of wine containing such levels is therefore well within the
capacity of the human body. Thus consumption of even large quantities of
wine would not pose any hazards from methanol.

Conclusion
The formation of methanol and other reaction products following the use of DMDC
for the treatment of alcoholic beverages and wine is similar to that formed in
non-alcoholic beverages. Therefore the previous opinion on the use of DMDC for
non-alcoholic beverages (1) is equally applicable to wines treated with DMDC.

References:
1. Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) (1990) Report on a second series of
food additives of various technological functions (opinion expressed on 19th
October 1990). Twenty-sixth series of Reports of the SCF. Office of Official
Publications of the
European Communities, Luxembourg. pp 9-10.

2. European Parliament and Council Directive 95/2/EC on food additives other
than colours and sweeteners. O.J. No. L 61 18.3.1995, p. 1

3. Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) (1996). Opinion on dimethyldicarbonate
(DMDC; Velcorin) (Response to comments of the French authorities), Opinion
expressed on 7 June 1996. Thirty-ninth series of Reports of the SCF. Office of
Official Publications of the European Communities., Luxembourg, 2000 pp 23-26.

4. US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (1988) Federal Register
53:41325-41329. 21 October, 1988.

5. Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants (JECFA)
(1991) Thirty-seventh report of JECFA, WHO Technical Report Series N°. 806,
WHO, Geneva
*******************************************************************

>Date: Mon, 19 Jan 2004 16:09:04 -0500
>From: Donnie <mickiemc@...>
>
>To: Betty Martini <Bettym19@...>
>Subject: [Filtered] Dimethyl dicarbonate
>
>Betty,
>
>This additive is going to be used in juices, etc. It breaks down to
>methanol. Doesn't sound very safe, to me.
>
>Dimethyl dicarbonate
>an antimicrobial that is added to juices and acts on microbes contained
>in the juice, it is also listed as an approved food-contact substance on
>the FDA¹ inventory for use in non-carbonated juice beverages
>
>Some info on it, but there is a lot more on Google.
>
>http://www.analox.com/tbmeth019944b.htm
>
>Donnie
********************************************************************

Rich Murray, MA Room For All rmforall@...
1943 Otowi Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505 USA 505-986-9103

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1039
three-page review: aspartame (methanol, formaldehyde) toxicity:
Murray 11.22.3 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1026
brief aspartame review: formaldehyde toxicity: Murray 9.11.3 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/989 On 4.10.2003
the European Union Parliament voted 440 to 20 to approve sucralose,
limit cyclamates & reevaluate aspartame & stevia: Murray 4.12.3 rmforall

http://google.com gives 221,000 websites for "aspartame" , with the top
9 of 10 listings being anti-aspartame, while
http://groups.google.com finds on 700 MB of posts from 20 years of
Usenet groups, 83,800 posts, the top 10 being anti-aspartame.
http://news.google.com 28 recent aspartame items from 4500 sources.
http://www.AllTheWeb.com gives 291,700, the top 7 of 10 being
leading and very well informed volunteer anti-aspartame sites.
http://teoma.com/index.asp gives 85,700 websites, top 8 of 10 anti.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed lists 742 aspartame items.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1025
aspartame & formaldehyde toxicity: Murray 9.9.3 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/messages
for 1052 posts in a public searchable archive 125 members

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartame/messages 759 with 16,425 posts

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1024
aspartame review: methanol, formaldehyde, formic acid toxicity:
Murray 9.5.3 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/910
formaldehyde & formic acid from methanol in aspartame:
Murray: 12.9.2 rmforall

It is certain that high levels of aspartame use, above 2 liters daily
for months and years, must lead to chronic formaldehyde-formic acid
toxicity, since 11% of aspartame (1,120 mg in 2L diet soda, 5.6 12-oz
cans) is 123 mg methanol (wood alcohol), immediately released into the
body after drinking (unlike the large levels of methanol locked up in
molecules inside many fruits), then quickly transformed into
formaldehyde, which in turn becomes formic acid, both of which in
time are partially eliminated as carbon dioxide and water.

However, about 30% of the methanol remains in the body as cumulative
durable toxic metabolites of formaldehyde and formic acid-- 37 mg daily,
a gram every month. [Metabolism of aspartame in monkeys.
Oppermann JA, Muldoon E, Ranney RE.
J. Nutrition 1973 Oct; 103(10): 1454-1459.]
If 10% of the methanol is retained as formaldehyde, that would give 12
mg daily formaldehyde accumulation, about 60 times more than the 0.2 mg
from 10% retention of the 2 mg EPA daily limit for formaldehyde in water.

Bear in mind that the EPA limit for formaldehyde in drinking water is
1 ppm, or 2 mg daily for a typical daily consumption of 2 L of water.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/835
RTM: ATSDR: EPA limit 1 ppm formaldehyde in drinking water July 1999
5.30.2 rmforall

This long-term low-level chronic toxic exposure leads to typical
patterns of increasingly severe complex symptoms, starting with
headache, fatigue, joint pain, irritability, memory loss, and
leading to vision and eye problems, and even seizures. In many cases
there is addiction. Probably there are immune system disorders, with a
hypersensitivity to these toxins and other chemicals.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/872
immune system reactions due to formaldehyde from the 11% methanol in
aspartame: Thrasher: Tephly: Monte: Murray 9.27.2 rmforall


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1045
http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/scf2002-response.htm
Mark Gold exhaustively critiques European Commission Scientific
Committee on Food re aspartame (12.4.2): 59 pages, 230 references

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/957
safety of aspartame Part 1/2 12.4.2: EC HCPD-G SCF:
Murray 1.12.3 rmforall EU Scientific Committee on Food, a whitewash

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/870
Aspartame: Methanol and the Public Interest 1984:
Monte: Murray 9.23.2 rmforall

Dr. Woodrow C. Monte Aspartame: methanol, and the public health.
Journal of Applied Nutrition 1984; 36 (1): 42-54.
(62 references) Professsor of Food Science [retired 1992]
Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287 woodymonte@...
The methanol from 2 L of diet soda, 5.6 12-oz cans, 20 mg/can, is
112 mg, 10% of the aspartame. The EPA limit for water is 7.8 mg daily
for methanol (wood alcohol), a deadly cumulative poison. Many users
drink 1-2 L daily. The reported symptoms are entirely consistent
with chronic methanol toxicity. (Fresh orange juice has 34 mg/L, but,
like all juices, has 16 times more ethanol, which strongly protects
against methanol.)

"Fruit and vegetables contain pectin with variable methyl ester
content. However, the human has no digestive enzymes for pectin (6, 25)
particularly the pectin esterase required
for its hydrolysis to methanol (26).

Fermentation in the gut may cause disappearance of pectin (6) but the
production of free methanol is not guaranteed by fermentation (3). In
fact, bacteria in the colon probably reduce methanol directly to formic
acid or carbon dioxide (6) (aspartame is completely absorbed before
reaching the colon). Heating of pectins has been shown to cause
virtually no demethoxylation; even temperatures of 120 deg C produced
only traces of methanol (3). Methanol evolved during cooking of high
pectin foods (7) has been accounted for in the volatile fraction during
boiling and is quickly lost to the atmosphere (49). Entrapment of these
volatiles probably accounts for the elevation in methanol levels of certain
fruits and vegetable products during canning (31, 33)."

Recent research [see links at end of post] supports his focus on the
methanol to formaldehyde toxic process:

"The United States Environmental Protection Agency in their Multimedia
Environmental Goals for Environmental Assessment recommends a minimum
acute toxicity concentration of methanol in drinking water at 3.9 parts
per million, with a recommended limit of consumption below 7.8 mg/day
(8). This report clearly indicates that methanol:

"...is considered a cumulative poison due to the low rate of excretion
once it is absorbed. In the body, methanol is oxidized to formaldehyde
and formic acid; both of these metabolites are toxic." (8)...

Recently the toxic role of formaldehyde (in methanol toxicity) has been
questioned (34). No skeptic can overlook the fact that, metabolically,
formaldehyde must be formed as an intermediate to formic acid
production (54).

Formaldehyde has a high reactivity which may be why it has not been
found in humans or other primates during methanol posisioning (59)....

If formaldehyde is produced from methanol and does have a reasonable
half life within certain cells in the poisoned organism the chronic
toxicological ramifications could be grave.

Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen (57) producing squanous-cell
carcinomas by inhalation exposure in experimental animals (22). The
available epidemiological studies do not provide adequate data for
assessing the carcinogenicity of formaldehyde in man (22, 24, 57).

However, reaction of formaldehyde with deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
has resulted in irreversible denaturation that could interfere with DNA
replication and result in mutation (37)..."
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